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Decimalising time

26 August 2009

PURCHASING a train ticket online from www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk, Adrian Brasnett was relieved to receive an email confirming it – and puzzled to read that his train departed at “0.35416667”. After a little thought, he multiplied that by 24 and got (near enough) 8.5 – so he went to the station at 8.30 am and, indeed, found his train.

How wonderfully forward-looking and rational. In years to come, he asks, will we be saying “Let’s meet after work at 0.75 for a drink, but I can only stay for 0.041666667”?